Geek Vs Geek: Season 3 Videos

Welcome to Geek Vs Geek, where Techwalla Tech editor Dave Johnson argues about tech with long-time nemesis and CNET contributor Rick Broida. It's hosted by comedian Helen Hong. Each week, we look at some new gadget, tech, or aspect of pop culture and have fun debating if it's something you should care about.

Video of the Day

credit: Demand Media

1. Geek Tank!

Here at Geek Vs Geek, we love crowdfunding campaigns at sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo as much as the next guys, but how do you know if that crazy Bluetooth-controlled tequila dispenser is worth backing?

In this week's episode of Geek Vs Geek, we're channeling our inner Mark Cubans by presenting Geek Tank. We chat about actual Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns, and then cast our votes on whether or not each one is worthy of your hard-earned dollars. Today, we chum the geek waters with VR glasses, a portable 3D projector and an e-bike. In this episode we feature:

2. Holodecks are Here

Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are just two of the tsunami of virtual reality products you can buy this year. But is VR worth it? Should you care about strapping a dorky headset to the front of your face? We visit 20th Century Fox's Innovation Lab -- high up in Die Hard's actual Nakatomi Tower -- to get a hands-on demo of their super-secret The Martian VR Experience to find out. And we bring you along for the ride.

3. Geek Vs Geek Vs Public Radio's Molly Wood

This week, Dave, Rick and Helen welcome Molly Wood, former host of CNET's The Buzz Report and current correspondent for public radio's Marketplace. She weighs in on a couple of contentious tech arguments and then the Geeks make Molly play a trivia game called Two Fake, One Real. Will she win?

Bonus! Here's the 30 second Episode 3 teaser, with cool footage not in the full episode. It's like a director's cut.

4. Robot Battle!

As Helen says in the cold open, it had to happen eventually: Rick and Dave fight (not) to the death with a pair of computerized battlebots. They managed to get their hands on SumoBoy, a crowd-funded robot kit that includes a pair of wedge-shaped robots, an Arduino board, a veritable chest of parts, and a combat ring. Watch the excitement... complete with slo-mo instant replays. Segway vs. Hoverboard Drag Race

5. Segway vs. Hoverboard Drag Race

Dialing up the dork factor, Dave and Rick try to determine which is the better self-balancing scooter: A Segway Personal Transport or a Swagway hoverboard. And they do it with a good old-fashioned, Grease-style drag race. Complete with Helen in a Poodle skirt.

By the way, a huge thanks to Swagway and Segway LA for loaning us the vehicles to pull off this super geeky race!

6. 3D Printing

A few years ago, a 3D printer could easily cost as much as a used car, but today you can put one on your desk for as little as $350 (like the Micro 3D printer in this episode). Dave and Rick discuss what's cool -- and not so cool -- about 3D printing while you get to watch a printer do its thing with time lapse footage. And check out the detailed 3D printed figurines of Dave and Rick, courtesy of Shapify.

Bonus! Here's the whole time-lapse video in one place of a Micro 3D printer creating a small toy plane. Print time: 5 hours. Your eyeball time: 30 seconds. The Pros and Cons of Smartwatches

7. The Pros and Cons of Smartwatches

Apple, Pebble, Samsung, and a hundred other tech companies want to bring the wristwatch back from the grave -- this time packed with tech. A good idea, goofy, or still too early to tell? Dave, Rick, and Helen look at a half-dozen of the most popular smartwatches and debate just how smart they are.